Freemasonry

Freemasonry started centuries ago and today remains the world’s oldest and largest fraternal organization. Its members, called Freemasons or Masons, consist of adult men of all nationalities, ages, occupations, religions, social and economic backgrounds, and political beliefs. Although diverse in their lifestyles and demographics, Masons share key common beliefs of brotherly love, relief and truth

What is Freemasonry?

Today, most Masonic historians trace the start of Freemasonry back to the masons of the Middle Ages, particularly the cathedral builders of medieval England and Scotland. Known as Free Masons, these stonemasons joined together and formed lodges. Over time, they began to allow men other than stonemasons into their organization. As they accepted the tradesmen, merchants, bankers and other men of the day, the name of their fraternity changed to better reflect its members. Masonry grew though the formation of lodges of “free and Accepted Masons.”

Since its early days, men who join the fraternity are taught Masonic rules and precepts though a series of rituals which follow ancient forms and use stonemason’s customs and tools as symbolic guides. The Masonic initiation ceremony consists of three degrees: the Entered Apprentice Degree, the Fellowcraft Degree and the Master Mason Degree. A candidate for membership is “initiated” as an Entered Apprentice, “passed” to the degree of Fellowcraft and “raised” to a Master Mason.

The Masonic fraternity, while not a religion in itself, stresses a belief in God and the individual choice of religious worship. A member is taught his duties to his God, his fellow man, and the laws of his country. Masons are concerned with spiritual values and dedication to improving themselves and the world in which all of us live